Copyright 2015.Ty Okojie

This ebook is
licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be
re-sold.or given away to other people. If you would like to share
this book with another person,please purchase an additional copy for
each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did.not purchase
it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to
your.favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you
for respecting the hard.work of this author.

Smashwords Edition

Table Of Contents

Preface

1.The Hook and the line.

2.A Guide to personal Branding.

“~~~~”

Preface

The continental
African economy right now has a GDP of $2.8Tn, and a population of
1.2bn. Our economy is bigger than India’s and more than twice that
of Russia’s. It’s time to think differently about who we are and
what we can accomplish. I have served in different roles and places,
even in cultures and languages entirely different from mine across
Africa, especially Nigeria. I’ve sat with children in Juvenile
detention and opioid addicts who told me their lives could’ve
turned out differently if they had something to do, an after school
program or somewhere to go. I’ve met factory workers who know their
old jobs aren’t coming back and are trying to find their place. In
all of this places I see one thing common. A people who are tired of
the status quo and want to bring positive change and development, but
don’t know how. This material is a key address on such issues as
these. This piece was not just written for a particular geographical
region,race or culture but for the man who wants to put
his/her name on stars. Just stay on course as we take this walk
together.

“~~~~”

Chapter One

The Hook and
the Line

The world unlike the
school system, is an open class. We all have the right to choose
where we must belong, irrespective of race and culture. However, this
is not by election, selection or declaration. It’s a function of
diligence by those who will wake up and take responsibility for their
lives.

Twenty friends
cannot play for twenty years. In twenty years they’ll be in twenty
different classes. As the morning shows the day, so the child shows
the man. The world as we see today is faced with different labor
issues. Every year, millions of jobs are lost as technology advances
and skills become obsolete. In our society, especially “Africa”
my side of the world, we often don’t do big things because we’re
so afraid of making mistakes that we ignore all the things today if
we do nothing. The continental African economy right now has a GDP of
$2.8Tn, and a population of 1.2bn. Our economy is bigger than
India’s and more than twice that of Russia’s. It’s time to
think differently about who we are and what we can accomplish.
History may have walked against us, but I can tell you with all
assurance that prophecy is on our side.

Can you imagine
China without Alibaba.com or Tencent? Or Japan without its Hondas or
Toyotas? How about America with its Apple, Google or even Microsoft?
Africans do also want to look up and see large African enterprises.
Companies like Econent and Dangote groups are there as beacons to new
generation of Africa enterprise builders who have dreams to build
global companies that will also create wealth for Africa. It will
interest you to know that 25years ago most of the above listed
companies never existed. And in 25years time some the giant companies
that will shake the world may not even be existing now.

I have served in
different roles and places, even in cultures and languages entirely
different from mine across Africa, especially Nigeria. I’ve sat
with children in Juvenile detention and opioid addicts who told me
their lives could’ve turned out differently if they had something
to do, an after school program or somewhere to go. I’ve met factory
workers who know their old jobs aren’t coming back and are trying
to find their place. I have practically tasted unemployment coupled
with the mass exodus of our active youths to overseas countries,
because of the way things are. In all of this places I see one thing
common. A people who are tired of the status quo and want to bring
positive change and development, but don’t know how. However, in
all of these issues, the man who will stand and remain relevant is
the man who is always willing to upgrade. To learn, unlearn and learn
again. For he must see beyond the present job hunting phenomenon and
working for money to earn a living, into the realms of value and job
creation. This has to be a man that celebrates apprenticeship and
volunteerism. He must be ready to make discipline, dedication,
determination and sacrifice his core teachers in this open school
called life. He may be a graduate with a college diploma, but he must
realize that in the school of life there is no graduation, you can
only keep learning. He may be an MBA holder, but he must realize that
true practical lessons about business aren’t learnt in class rooms
but on the streets. Class room lessons are OK. But no pilot (high
flier) is rated by his college certificate, but by his number of
flying hours in the air. Fellow Africans let’s wake up and take off
the veil of schooling to obtain certificates. No one cares about the
ingredients you used in cooking until they have tasted the food and
confirmed that it is sweet. The rule of the game as changed.

As an undergraduate,
there were so many struggles as to what course we wanted to study.
Some of us even had to switch departments and faculties and lost a
year just to get what we wanted. I personally almost transferred
from Production Engineering to Electrical because the grass seemed
greener on the other side.

But once we leave
school, most of us realize that it is not much of the courses we
studied that counts, or the good grades. In the real world outside of
school, something more than grades is required. Some persons on the
street call it “guts”, but I choose to call it “a good sense of
confidence combined with a purpose and skill”. This factor
ultimately decides one’s future more than school grades. Back then,
it broke my heart to see students know the answers, yet lack the
courage to act on it. Often in the real world, it’s not the smart
that gets ahead but the bold and skilled. We all have tremendous
potentials, and we all are blessed with gifts. Yet, the one thing
that holds all of us back is some degree of self- doubt, I call them
“what ifs…” It’s not so much lack of technical information
that holds us back, but the lack of self-confidence, purpose and
skill.

Now as a graduate
outside of the school walls, I’ve come to discover that the whole
idea of school in this generation is to teach you how to turn your
certificates into payable skills via these basic elements.

•A rich content

•A creative
package

•And a solid
network.

What you study in
the end really doesn’t matter.

So how do I
accomplish these three elements above? That’s exactly what we shall
be looking out shortly.

The Hook and Line Principle

In the account of
Matthew 17:27. Jesus told Peter “go to the sea, and cast your hook,
and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you have opened
its mouth, you shall find a piece of money; that take, and give unto
them for me and thee”.

There are many
fishes in the river, but only a hook and a line will bring it out.
The hook and the line principle states that “money is changing
hands every single time. But you have to have a hook and a line to
get it out”. What does this mean? Every single time you pay for a
service or goods, money changes hands. And every single time people
pay you cash for a value given, money changes hands. Therefore, the
one that gets bulk of the money is the one that gave more values, or
solved more problems. When we look at the life of Jesus and His
disciples on the earth, we discover that they all had skills aside
ministry. For most of them Jesus found them on duty when they got the
call. Jesus himself learnt carpentry by the reason of his father
being one. Peter was a great fisher man with a long track record of
fishing skills who later upgraded from fishing fishes to fishing men.
James and John too were fisher men too, who also upgraded as well.
Luke was a doctor; even Judas Iscariot had accounting skills. None
were idle. School used to be a very good place of obtaining skills
for the real world. But today it’s obvious the world has gone
beyond what you studied. Now especially in the private sector, it’s
about “what can you offer?” What do you bring to the table?
What’s your contribution? What’s your skill? Why should I employ
you and not others? Nobody wants liabilities, we all want assets. So
the question is; how can I be an asset and not a liability?